Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to continuous production of granular titanium, zirconium or hafnium metal or their alloys by: dissolving reducing metals such as sodium, magnesium, or lithium in their respective halide salts to produce a reducing molten salt process stream; preparing a second molten salt stream bearing Ti, Zr or Hf in solution; mixing and reacting the two molten salt process streams in a continuous stirred tank reactor where control of the concentrations of reactants, the contacting pattern, and the temperature produce orderly growth of granular metal free of halide inclusions; removing granular metal from the system; and leaching the remaining salts from the granular metal.